Monday, December 26, 2005

I went to the Dr. on Monday, November 28th and was told that my blood pressure was getting high. Our big joke had been that pre-eclampsia was the one thing I didn't have! So the Dr. told me he wanted to induce me before the week was out and ordered some blood work. He called us on Tuesday and told me that I had all the signs of pre-eclampsia and that he wanted to induce me on Thursday. I asked if I could come in Thursday morning for a recheck and go from there - I wanted to go naturally and inductions make that tough. So we went in on Thursday and my BP was even higher, the swelling was bad and my rash was getting horrific. The good news was that I was already 80% effaced and 3 cm's dialated. The Dr. wanted us to go straight to the hospital but I talked him into letting me go home and shower first.

We arrived at the hospital at 11:30 ish and they started me on Pictocin at 1 pm. The Dr. broke my water at 3:30 and we called the doula since I knew things would be picking up soon. Yvonne, our doula, arrived at 4:30 and I was still doing ok. By 6 I was begging to be shot. I broke down and asked for the epi - I was only 4 cm's at the time so I had made little progress. After 3 tries, the epidural was in and the relief was immediate and I sent everyone to go have dinner so I could rest. Unfortunately, after 20 mins of pain-free labor, the epidural test-dose wore off and I guess the cathedar was in the wrong space and I was in some serious pain. They checked me again at 7 and I was at 7 cm's. Everyone was back in the room with me by 8:45 helping me cope with the pains. At 9:35 they checked me again and I was completely dialated but Fin was being stubborn and was still pretty high up (-2 station) so they wanted me to keep laboring and see if he would come down on his own. By 10:45 there was still no more progress and I started to hear the rumblings of C-section. The Dr. came in at 11 and decided we should see if I could just push Fin out - I had him crowning in one push! By 11:19 Fin was in daddy's arms while I had a chance to catch my breath. One tiny stich was all I needed and Fin nursed right away - I wish the pregnancy had gone as smoothly as the labor :)

Monday, November 21, 2005

So it's kindof a joke now that I have had every non-life threatening pregnancy side effect known to woman. Now we have a new one to add to the list!

Somewhere around last Wednesday my belly started to itch something awful. Just one spot right below my belly botton which I assumed was just going to be a massive stretch mark. Well, sure, it was, but it was also more. By the time we got to birthing class last night it had spread to my whole belly from button down. I hadn't slept in three nights because the itching is really amazing. I asked Yvonne, our doula who teaches the class as well, and she asked to see it. She immediately said, "that's PUPP!". Oof. I really needed this one...

"About 1 percent of women develop itchy, red bumps and larger patches of a hive-like rash on their bellies in the second half of pregnancy, usually in the last month or two. These irritations are called pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy (PUPPP for short) or polymorphic eruption of pregnancy. They usually show up first on the abdomen around or in stretch marks (if you have any) and then spread to the thighs, the buttocks, and sometimes the arms. They're harmless for you and your baby, but they can itch like crazy! Your doctor or midwife will want to see you for a diagnosis and will probably prescribe a topical ointment to give you some relief. In severe cases, you may need a course of oral steroids. PUPPP should disappear within a few days after delivery for most women. And fortunately, it seldom happens again in subsequent pregnancies. This condition is usually a familial one and can be traced back through the father's side of the family."

This may be the worst thing yet. I actually found several medical message board threads where doctors induced women with this because they were almost suicidal over the itching! I know, you're thinking, "it's just an itch"... oh is that the understatement of the century!

Thursday, November 17, 2005

Sometimes, when you're reading stuff about being pregnant, it's just too dead on!

Dr. Sears Says:

"You will spend most of your ninth month "in labor." Of course, this extended labor will not be as powerful as the labor you will experience on the day or so leading up to delivery. It's more obstetrically correct to talk of "labor month" rather than "labor day." Throughout the weeks prior to delivery, your mind and body will get ready for one of the most memorable events in your life – the birth of your baby.

EMOTIONAL CHANGESTake all the emotions you've felt over the past eight months, intensify them, and you've got an idea of what you can expect emotionally during month nine. You may be tired of being big, tired of being tired, and very ready to get the pregnancy over with. Your preoccupation with the upcoming birth and change in your lifestyle can mean more emotional ups and downs, but the inevitability of what's ahead may make it easier for you to cope. Most women report they feel:

MORE AMBIVALENTMany women do not want a pregnancy to end. Ambivalence over no longer being pregnant can lead to anxiety about making the transition from pregnancy to parenthood, especially if you are a person who doesn't handle transitions well. Realize that grieving the loss of your pregnancy is a very real need. Give yourself the time and space to do it now – you'll be too busy once baby comes.

MORE SENSITIVEAnticipate being more touchy this month, and bothered by well-meaning but insensitive comments. You may feel more irritable toward your spouse, impatient with your children, and provoked by little things that normally wouldn't faze you. It's normal to be irritated and overwhelmed by all this advice and to wish people would just leave you alone and let you have (and rear) your baby your way. You may find yourself becoming very protective of your peace. This is nature's way of protecting you from outside influences that may distract you from the higher-priority event that is soon to come, conserving your energy for what's ahead. If a bit of advice is headed your way, go ahead and temporarily zone out. Even better, stay away from people who make you nervous.

MORE CONCERNEDYou sometimes lie awake at night going over everything in your head. In your desire to be super-prepared, you make lists so you don't have to worry about forgetting anything, but then you worry about what you may have forgotten to put on the list in the first place. (Keep a pad and pencil next to your bed so you can jot it down and relax back to sleep.) Remember, anything you have forgotten will probably turn out not be so important after all.

MORE SCAREDEven if you've prepared for this event for the past nine months, it's normal to have second thoughts. Obviously, there is no turning back, and billions of women before you have gone through labor, including your mother. If this is your first baby, fear of the unknown naturally leads to dread. Let your mind work through these thoughts early in the ninth month before your body is asked to do a very strenuous job. The more you trust that your body knows what to do, the more your mind will relax.

MORE NESTING INSTINCTSNature often provides you with a nice burst of energy to go along with the urge to prepare your home for the important newcomer. A day of yielding to this energy spurt may provide you with a healthy diversion from the boredom of those endless last weeks. It puts you in control and gives you a sense of accomplishment. But don't overdo it. Even though this nesting instinct may be common among females of the animal kingdom, human mothers don't really need a clean and sanitized nest. Don't let yourself get carried away; you'll end up overtired. Many of these tasks can be done by someone else or gradually after D- day, with baby snuggled in a baby sling sleeping peacefully.

FEELING BIGGERYou may find the muscles in your abdomen hurt from working so hard to support your belly, or that your crotch and thigh bones ache when you walk. In the first week or two of the ninth month, enjoy your bigger silhouette in the mirror because your baby will soon be dropping lower into your pelvis, and the bulge will change. You may wonder how you are going to lug yourself around for another month.

MORE TIREDMany mothers find themselves physically exhausted this month. You may be tired of dragging a top-and-front heavy body up and down stairs. Even getting up off the sofa can leave you out of breath. First-time moms will be getting used to a pattern they've never experienced before -- light sleep. Nursing the baby, seeing that older children are covered with blankets, comforting during nightmares, sitting up through illnesses, reassuring a wakeful one – all these things dictate light sleeping for a number of years.

LOSING WEIGHTEven though your baby may gain a couple pounds during this month, your weight may increase only slightly, stay the same, or actually drop by a pound or two. Weight loss in the final month is usually due to a decrease in the amount of amniotic fluid, as hormones begin shifting fluid around in your body. You produce less amniotic fluid, and the increased frequency of urination may lead to an overall drop in total body water, and therefore a decrease in your weight.

HAVING DIFFICULTY GETTING COMFORTABLEYou may not be able to get comfortable – anywhere. You're not comfortable sitting, standing, or lying in one position for more than a few minutes at a time, and have great difficulty finding the right position for sleep. Short, frequent naps are a necessity this month. So are the relaxation techniques you've been practicing.

FEELING A LITTLE BETTERTwo of the more common annoyances of earlier months, breathlessness and heartburn, often ease during the ninth month. Yet you'll need to urinate more frequently as baby's head begins to press more on your bladder. And while the upper digestive tract may feel better, the crowded lower tract may once again feel constipated and bloated.

EXPERIENCING NEW PELVIC PRESSURESAs your baby descends into your pelvic cavity, you may find yourself prone to sharp, stabbing pains at the base of your spine or in the middle of your pelvic bone, making it uncomfortable to walk. The increased pelvic aches and pains of the ninth month are most likely due to the relaxation and stretching of your pelvic ligaments in preparation for the job to come. You can ease these discomforts by changing positions. Continue to exercise gently every day. If you cannot walk or exercise without pain, a chiropractor experienced in working on pregnant bodies can give you some gentle pelvic adjustments to get your hips back in balance. It is our personal theory that chiropractic attention in pregnancy not only helps avoid or relieve back pain, but also can affect your labor by helping your back and pelvic structures be better prepared to handle the stresses of labor and birth.

FEELING DIFFERENT KICKSBabies move even less in the ninth month than they did in the eighth, but what these movements lack in frequency they make up in power. You may feel hard kicks in your ribs and punches in your pelvis. Sometimes it may even feel like baby is moving his hands or feet into your vagina – a very odd sensation.

GENERAL ACHES AND PAINSDuring the ninth month some women feel stiff all over, the way they imagine that arthritic, elderly people feel. Baby's head pressing against the nerves and blood vessels in the pelvis may also cause cramps in the thighs. Like the pelvic aches and pains, these changes are due to the influence of pregnancy hormones on the ligaments of all of your joints. The overall loosening of your ligaments has been known to cause the knees and wrists to feel weak, too, making even light lifting tricky and walking less inviting. However, movement keeps your body tuned up and once you get started on your daily walk the aches and pain will diminish.

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

So I'm still pregnant...that's about the most interesting news I have!

My feet are so swollen that they look like nasty hobbit feet and I feel like an elephant. My back is killing me and for some reason the position I have to assume to drive and not have my belly bisected by the steering wheel sends me straight into contractions. I can't sleep for more than an hour at a time and I just feel like crap in general. Oh, and none of my maternity bottoms fit anymore. Actually, they fit, but my stomach skin is so sensitive that I can't stand anything touching it so I've been living in sweatpants (just my crappy old ones) that I can wear below the belly.

I am having some early labor symptoms that are a bit too gross to share, so here's hoping that this babe does make an early appearance! Of course, they do say that early labor can last two to three weeks...

Monday, October 31, 2005

So Sunday nights' class culminated in viewing the birthing videos. Joy! First we got to see a C-Section, which begged the question of which one of us would pass out first to have to deal with that. Everyone I know who's had one has said that those sheets that they put in front of you are useless and that you can see everything anyway. So here's hoping that's not something I have to deal with! Then we saw a vaginal birth from the 80's in a hollywood birthing center. It was au natural so that was encouraging since the woman didn't kill anyone. But there was something familar about her...and had it not been halloween and had I not just watched Carrie, I don't know if I would have figured it out. It was P.J. Soles -the girl who wears the baseball hat through Carrie and also in the first Friday the 13th movie. Pretty funny. Now we've seen more of her than either of us ever wanted to :)

Friday, October 28, 2005

Thursday, October 27, 2005

Back up for a minute... a few months ago I failed the 1-hour Gestational Diabetes test by 2 points with a cold. By the time I get the order for the 3-hour test, I have full-on bronchitis. I make ten phone calls to the lab, the ob, my dr. etc to find out if I should still take the test. They all say yes. So I spend four hours, not able to eat, drinking something narsty and being poked repeatedly. Results come back high, so I'm sent to a diabetic specialist, a nutritionist and an endocrenologist. The diabetic specialist tells me to test 4 times a day, the nutritionalist tells me I need to stop eating carbs and then I get to the endo. By this point I've become a neurotic monster with bloody fingers and I'm so crazed over what to eat that I'm ready to NOT eat anymore. Everytime I followed my "meal plan" my sugars would be on the high side - still not bad, but higher than when I just ate what I wanted when I was hungry. So I told him I was done and the first thing he says is that I should never have taken that test sick that it always has an effect. Thanks. So he asks me to retake it. No way! I'm not spending another 5 hours like that. So he gives me an A1 test which will show the pattern of my sugars over the past few months and tells me to just watch my sugars one or two days a week. The test comes back...drumroll...abnormally LOW. He thinks it's probably a misdiagnosis and just tells me not to worry about it.

So our crappy Blue Cross HMO makes me go to Facey - which is basically like a kaiser type thing - and they blow. I had my first appointment with the doctor today. Brooks went in to work late so that he could go with me. We were both optimistic since we were meeting with the only woman in the practice (there are 4 or 5 doctors total). WRONG! She kept us waiting in the exam room for 40 minutes. Then she came in and didn't look up ONCE from my chart - no introductions, nothing. She asked about the GD and I told her I was meeting with the endo. She wanted to see my test results and I told her I only test twice a week and she was all pissy and tried to send me for blood work. I asked what for and she said an A1 - I explained the above story to her (and reminded her that maybe she should tell everyone in her office that you should NOT take it sick!) and that my scores came back really low on the A1 that I JUST did. And she asks why I haven't taken the 3-hour test again - I told her I didn't want to spend another day at that damn office fasting and being poked. She was less than thrilled. So then she has me lay down to measure my belly and check the heart rate. She measures me with no comment, heart rate is fine, and then, out of nowhere, she pushes HARD on my pelvis. I screamed and she said "yeah, sometimes that hurts". WHAT?!?! So I asked then why did she do it, and she says that she wanted to check if the baby was head down. Hello! I just had an ultrasound last week and all you had to do was ask and I would have told you that! Or at least you could have warned me! Then she left with a see-you-next-time mumble. Brooks was screaming obscenities before the door even closed.

Wednesday, October 26, 2005

Brooks and I were at the mall the other day and saw this in the window of some lame accessories store. We couldn't resist. Have you ever seen anything so awful? My pregnant bladder almost gave out on me. We were laughing so hard that the sales chick probably thought we were stoned. I had originally planned to give this to someone as a great Christmas gag gift, but now I can't even bring myself to put it away. We get way too much enjoyment out of it. If for some reason this doesn't look ridiculously hideous and make you want to piddle yourself, then all I can say is that it loses something in print, and you should come see it.

Some research shows that it's part of the "Babes in the Wild" Series. If you google that, you can see the whole rest of the line, although none seem this creepy. Well, almost none...Baby in a box?

Thursday, September 22, 2005

So I've had this awful cold for a while now, and on Tuesday Brooks convinced me it was time to go to the Dr. So I got in to see my regular NP and was diagnosed with bronchitis. After much conferring with various OB's, it was decided that I should go on antibiotics so it wouldn't turn into pneumonia. So I started the dose yesterday morning, and within two hours, WHAM, I became violently ill (I know this is my blog, but thank me for sparing you those details). In the midst of this full body spasm of sickness, the passenger decided that he'd rather just get out than deal with all of that - so I got my first dose of labor with some serious contractions. By the time all was said and done, I didn't have to rush to the hospital, just some good old bedrest got everything stopped. So I'm laid up in bed again today - to make sure there are no more contractions and also to try and finally kick this cold. I can only take so much daytime TV (although Bon Jovi was on Oprah yesterday!)....

Wednesday, September 14, 2005

So, with our home finally free of houseguests for the moment, I find myself....sick. The headcold Brooks kept claiming as allergies, is in fact...a cold. And now I have it. But I can't take NyQuil and bask in it's blissful slumber. Nooo. I have to grin and bear it. Ugh.

As I was laying in bed this morning, at 3am, wide awake, barely able to breathe, I was thinking that it's funny that so many of the people I watched on TV shows as a little girl are having babies at the same time. (Apologizing in advance for my spellings, I'm not up to "research")Soliel Moon Frye - Punky Brewster of course - had a daughter a few weeks ago. Miyum Byalik - Blossom - is having a baby any day now. And Melissa Joan Hart - Clarissa Explains it all and if you're younger, Sabrina the Teenage Witch - is due right after me. It's funny to think that all those babies will be the same age as my little one. Supermodel Heidi Klum just had her baby with Seal and Tina Fey had her first child, a daughter, this week as well. Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck are due to welcome their new arrival around the same time I am. And of course, there are daily reports of Britney Spears cheeto, I mean, baby, springing forth as I type. I think it's interesting to keep kindof a record of all this so that my son can someday know who was born around the same time :)

I had some more complaining to do, so be glad I got sidetracked. I'll get to carpal tunnell, braxton hicks, gestational diabetes and low-lying placenta later I guess. Now it's time for a nap!

Wednesday, September 07, 2005

Some of Brooks' High School friends came into town this weekend to celebrate his 30th birthday a tad early. We had a great time but I really need to learn that I just can't keep up like I used to. I've been feeling pretty good lately, so it's difficult to remember that my body is very busy and that means that I need more sleep, more breaks, etc.

Overall, I can't complain too much about this pregnancy. I have not forgotten about how much the morning sickness sucked and how little energy I had that first trimester, but I know others have had it much worse. I'm still having major issues with swollen feet, sciatica and now carpal tunnel, but none of them are bad enough to keep me at home or in bed or otherwise impaired. Let's hope that this smooth-ish sailing continues! :)

Friday, August 26, 2005

Life has been pretty hectic lately. We had a few ants downstairs (maybe 10-15) and so we got the house sprayed. Well, according to Terminix, we angered them. The result? I came downstairs yesterday afternoon and opened the cabinet to a scene out of a bad horror movie- ants were EVERYWHERE. I called Brooks in a panic and he rushed home to meet the Terminix man and help me clean up. In the end, they had to bomb the walls and so Brooks and Veda and I spent a few hours at Starbucks while the chinchillas played over at Judy's. Many hours, some $300 in trashed grocieries and four dishwasher loads later, we were almost done...sigh.

To top it off, I've been having some serious mood swings. To Brooks' joy, I'm not much of a bitch, but I have become quite the cryer. It's bad and it comes out of nowhere. I'm also experiencing some times of intense depression and hopelessness that are balanced at the other end of crazy by these moments of such serenity that I can't even put into words. As my brother eloquently pointed out (after watching too much Discovery Health Channel), "you're really messed up right now"...(me- "what do you mean?")..."You have more hormones in your body right now than you do over every menstrual cycle in your lifetime combined". Yowza! No wonder I'm so outta whack.

I'm working on the nursery this weekend, so I promise next week to get some almost-done pictures up!

Tuesday, August 16, 2005

Not too much going on lately, just working on the nursery and trying to get some sleep - the insane energy boost of the second trimester is quickly wearing off and becoming the exhaustion of the third trimester. So with that, I'm off to take a nap, but I'll leave you with another of the edited images for the baby's room :) (First one is Gi-Gi, my fathers' mother and the second one is Chief, my fathers' father)

Thursday, August 04, 2005

Tons of people have told me I'm crazy and I'm sure tons more will tell me before I'm done, but I want a natural birth. And yes, that means no drugs. We've researched all our options, read all the books, toured all the hospitals and hired a doula (who is also teaching our birthing classes starting in Oct.). I don't know how I could be more prepared for it.

I've been having some pretty interesting anxiety dreams lately, but last nights was pretty telling. I had nightmares all night of long, miserable, endless flights. If you read my post about flying home a few weeks ago, you know that it was beyond awful - I had drama coming out both ends, a sinus issue and my feet and one hand got so swollen I was terrified. I stood through most of the flight.

I guess because I was a psych major, I like to pick apart my dreams. And as I was thinking about this one (I was on a plane and the only person on the plane who spoke english and I had awful seats and there was no room and it was supposed to be a 14 hour flight) it hit me - the plane is the hospital and the flight is the birth. I'm not delusional, and just because I want a natural birth doesn't mean that I'm planning on having very little pain and a short labor. I know it will be hard, I know it will be work, I know it will hurt, but I also know that my body will be doing something that it was made to do. But this dream gave me a new way to explain that to other people...

Say you have this 14 hour flight to some beautiful tropical island. You know it's going to be cramped and miserable and that you'll get sick and feel awful, but the tickets were expensive and are non refundable and you WANT to go. So you prepare yourself in any way you can. And then someone offers you some medication. It will make you sleep through much of the flight and although you'll still be plenty uncomfortable, you'll be able to relax better. Sounds great, right? Well, there's also a great chance that this miracle medication will make you sick once you land. So sick, in fact, that you'll miss the whole beginning of your vacation being in a fog. And you can have side effects too, although they're rare. You might have a horrific headache for days or temporary paralysis...and some other things we'll just not talk about. (Of course, this says nothing for how bad all this is for the baby).

So the way I see it, I'd rather have a miserable, long, uncomfortable, painful flight and know that at the end of it all, I'll be able to walk off the plane unassisted and enjoy a little bit of paradise as I get to know this new person in my life.

Wednesday, August 03, 2005

So I was talking to my friend John today and laughing about some of the silly things I did in college and I realized...this is it, I think I finally have to grow up! So you finish college and you lose the "but I was in college" excuse. Then you move into your own place and feel a little more adult, but you still aren't really grown up and can pretend you're still in college. Then you get married. That's a big one, but if you do it right, you get a playmate and you can both still refuse to grow up completely. Then you buy a house. Sure someone has to mow the lawn and do the laundry, but once that's done you're free to play video games until your hands cramp up so bad you can't move your fingers. Then you have a baby...and I'm starting to feel like that has to be where it all ends.

From now on, every decision I make not only affects me and my life, but also the life of this innocent little person who I am now COMPLETELY responsible for. That's an awfully scary thought. I've always had a difficult time with the concept of being defined by my relationships with others - most notably when I got married. It was a sad sad day when I changed my last name, although I know it made the most sense and I did it for all the right reasons. It's still a challenge for me to understand that I can change my last name, which is so deeply a part of my identity, and that I can become someone's partner in life and that it's ok for me to be defined as such and that doing that doesn't take away from who I am but only adds to it. Now, being defined as someone's mother is still something I'm grappling with. Although Brooks assures me that we'll still have time to play video games :)

Tuesday, August 02, 2005

We decided that we didn't want any characters in the nursery. Nothing with a face since I think that's creepy. So the question became what to do with the walls? I saw some cool picture frames and got an idea. It's a psychological fact that babies LOVE to see other babies, and since we're so far from family, I decided to collect baby pics of our parents and grandparents and siblings and old ancestors etc. I bought a bunch of craft frames and I'm working on decorating each one so that they add some flavor to the room. I haven't decided yet if I'm going to try and hang them with ribbons or just hang them. When I was telling my Uncle Tom my idea, he suggested that I handcolor the photos so that they all look uniform and also have a bit of a younger appeal to them. I did and it's working great! Here's a sample - my mother's mother. The one on the left is the original and obviously the one on the right is the one I handcolored. They're all turning out pretty cool too! Meanwhile, I got wayyy too much enjoyment out of a story on Defamer today detailing how Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas PEED herself at the San Diego show last weekend. My first thought was that maybe that Duhmel dude got her all knocked up and she couldn't help herself. Too funny. Link to Defamer at right, scroll down the page for the story.

Monday, July 25, 2005

Ok, so I must start this post by saying that 1) I have always prided myself on being a GOOD example of a woman driver and 2) I have always opposed any medicalization of pregnancy that treats the pregnant woman as if she has some sort of ailment or disease. That said, pregnancy has made me a BAD driver. REALLY BAD. When I first noticed that the part of my brain that controls driving skills to mush, I was horrified. I did something stupid in traffic and actually rolled down my window and waved and hollered "oops". It was aful, an out of body experience where I was watching myself be that stupid woman everyone shakes their head and scowls at.

That said, something in my pregnant temper (more on that later) has switched over this week and I've somehow learned to embrace my pregnant driving. Today I cut someone off on purpose. And I LIKED it! When she pulled up next to me to yell, I yelled right back, flipped the bird and drove away laughing like the wicked witch of the west. Maybe it's because I know that I'll be driving like a granny with a baby in the back pretty soon, but it felt good.

So the moral of the story is, if you see a giant blue car piloted by someone who looks like they have no business being on the road, GET OUT OF MY WAY! Because I'm going to enjoy driving for the next few months...

Friday, July 22, 2005

Brooks was in Denver on business last night, so I had the house to myself. I don't think you ever grow out of that initial rush you get when you realize you are going to have the whole house to yourself for a whole night - then again, maybe it's still a thing for me since my parents would have missed a meeting with the Pope if it meant I'd have the house to myself for a night. So after that inital rush, it always sets in that going to bed alone sucks. I think I slept maybe an hour or two at most. Keeping my eyes open at work today has been quite taxing. But as I was watching TV and trying to soothe myself to sleep (yes that IS Ron Perlman as the Lawsayer in The Island of Dr. Moreaux) and Piglet was a wiggly worm in my belly, I realized that this could very well be the last time I have the whole house to myself overnight - ever. It was a very very odd feeling.

And if one more person tells me I'm glowing, I'm going to take my greasy face and rub it against theirs and point out that now they're "glowing" too! That's right folks, nasty, greasy skin is NOT glowing! You don't tell someone who just finished a marathon that they're glowing. No you say that they're sweaty. So let's get it right. If you'd like to comment on my skin, you're more than welcome to complement how I really am looking "oily" with this pregnancy. And while I'm at it, why do people have such a hard time seeing the nutritional value of the milkshake. It's milk people! Calcium, Dairy, Good Protein, Dammit!!

Tuesday, July 19, 2005

Oh sad sad day. As I was getting dressed this morning, Brooks commented that I had on cute undies. Amazed that anything as large as my panties could be considered "cute", I had to look and see what I was wearing (the pregnant memory is quite short) and realized....I couldn't SEE THEM! That's right, my belly has taken over and I can no longer see what underwear I have on unless I take them off or look in a mirror. And yes, I tried to look around the side, and that didn't work either. Sigh.

So we're back from the DC wedding - and my feet are still so swollen they look like tiny Michelin men. We took the red eye in to DC and I slept for maybe 20 mins. When I woke up, I was amazed that the size of my feet and right hand had tripled! (It is worth noting that somehow my left hand avoided this fate, just how I'm still not sure) I had to wake Brooks up to be sure I wasn't hallucinating from lack of sleep. Nope. I spent the rest of the flight pacing and trying to get them to look more normal. They did lose some of their swell, but they're still not looking right today. Thank God that was my last pregnant flight!

Thursday, July 14, 2005

Ok, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't hoping for a boy. I always wanted my first child to be a boy. And I had a feeling that this one was - I was right! So was my grandmother (Gi Gi) and the folks at the Subway downstairs where I eat lunch every day :)

So we had our big ultrasound yesterday - pics below - an as soon as we left Brooks remarked that he should have asked the tech to measure his unit. Sigh. He weighs a half-a-pound, which immediately translates in the pregnant mind to two-McDonalds-quarter-pounders. Everything looked well and Brooks and I are giggly with excitement. All parents are excited too, although I think both moms were secretly hoping for a girl. Ok, so maybe it wasn't so much a secret with my mom (sorry mom, Lola will have to wait her turn!).

Tuesday, July 12, 2005

So I noticed about a week ago that my rings were starting to feel tight. Then, this weekend, I had to take my right hand ring off it was bothering me so much. And today, my wedding band had to go. My engagement ring is barely fitting so I doubt that will last till the weekend. Of course, with nerves of jelly, this was enough to make me cry. I love those rings and the thought of going months without being able to wear them makes me so so sad. Ugh, this stinks. My mother had the same problem so at least I know it's normal. I'm going to have to go to Target or something to get a larger band just for the next few months so I don't look like an unwed mother-to-be.

Little Piglet has been twirling and kicking up a storm lately. It comes so out of nowhere and so hard that I seem to always exclaim 'Ow, F*&$er!' While I'm sure that this greatly amuses all onlookers that I would be so aggressive in my response to something they couldn't see, Brooks pointed out last night that this child is going to think it's name is F*&$er :) I'll be stopping that now. Brooks was laying with his head on my belly last night talking to the baby when - THWACK - right in the face! He looked at me aghast and said 'did you do that?!?!'. I could have rolled off the bed laughing.

Monday, July 11, 2005

Happy Monday! And only two more days until the big Ultrasound! And yes, it has occurred to me that we may not find out the gender. But I was told that candy makes for a very mobile baby and better chances of getting that money shot, so I'll be dosing myself well.

Brooks and I had hair appointments this weekend so we look decent for our trip home to DC. I decided I needed a change, and that I wanted a big one this time. So I was toying with cutting my hair really short when my neighbor remarked that my very long hair was going to be a blast untangling from tiny baby hands. Wow, hadn't even thought of that and it would have been a nightmare! So I went for it and had it cut to my chin. I also went significantly lighter with color too. It's going to take some getting used to, but there are already apparent advantages - I don't have to tangle with it while I sleep which was getting to be a pain and it takes way less time to make presentable. Brooks likes it which is the most important so it's all good.

We spent Sunday watching Ravi - who it must be said is an exceptionally well behaved and bright 4 year old. He has a dinosaur named 'Yo Toy' and is working on his own book chronicling the adventures of 'Yo Toy'. This will, of course, require photographic documentation so he has custody of his parents digital camera. This kind of trust and responsibility was amazing to me since it took Brooks a year to let me use our digital camera unattended. So we stayed busy, lunching at the mall, going to the pool, watching a movie and constructing a serious train set-up from the three buckets of parts his parents hauled over. Ravi left around 8 and we were pooped. Brooks made the assessment that you must work up to the energy level of a four year old in increments and that being thrown into it like we were just makes you more tired. I have to say that Brooks did a great job and that my worries that he would choose this day for his pregnancy freak out were all for naught. It's still coming though...

Friday, July 08, 2005

Why is it that the short weeks always seem to drag on longer than normal ones? Thank God it's Friday! Not much on tap for this weekend other than cleaning house. Brooks and I get haircuts on Saturday so we look nice to go home to DC next week. And we're child-sitting for Gregg and Vivian's son Ravi on Sunday. I've told Brooks it's his job since it will be good practice. I should have something interesting to share on Monday!

So Brooks and I are going to my cousins wedding next weekend and I was having an impossible time finding a dress. I thought I could fit into some of the looser stuff in my closet, but I didn't take into account the boob-growth factor. Oops. So then I bought a dress from Nordstroms Maternity online...let's for a moment discuss that they don't ever actually use pregnant models, just regular models with fake bellies. So, unless you are 6 feet tall and have toothpick legs, you just end up looking obease. And add to that the fact that all these dresses are designed for people who are 9 mos. pregnant and have that big nice firm "definitely pregnant" belly. What about those of us who are, oh I don't know, under 5 foot and just at 5 months with that "could just be fat" belly? So I got the dress and was so excited...it was awful! It may be the first time that Brooks has ever told me that something was just bad on me. So I took it back. I was just about at the end of my rope when I decided that since I knew exactly what I wanted, I would see what it cost to have a dress made.

So I contacted a local dressmaker and met with her in her store armed with inspiration pictures. (Note to reader: if you are ever in SoCal and need a dress, get Euginia's number from me!) She's one of those people who know what you want before you do and she helped me find the perfect dress that only needed a few changes to be amazing. It's getting all it's alterations done now, but I'll post pictures if I remember after the big event.

Ok, I'm going to go to the pool so I can get a swim in before my soaps start :)

Thursday, July 07, 2005

I'm coming up on 18 weeks, which is pretty close to 20 weeks, which is the halfway point. Yay! I have a feeling that the second half of this pregnancy is going to go by much slower than the first half, despite the fact that I feel alot better these days. The morning sickness is gone, the congestion is worlds better and I not only have energy, I have TOO much energy! I went to bed last night at midnight and was wide awake at 4 am. Nothing helped to get me back to sleep so I ended up jotting down ideas for the nursery and staring at the ceiling. I'm also finally starting to feel little piglet move around. It's like living in the movie Alien. When I get up or roll over, I have the sensation that my belly is a bottle of water with a sailboat swishing around in there, it's beyond odd. So far the movements aren't strong enough (or the piglet not big enough) for Brooks to feel from the outside, so hopefully that will be soon.

I have yet to make it back to Yoga, but I'm swimming every day. I've never been a water person (I only put a baithing suit on once on our honeymoon), but there's something about this pregnancy that makes me want to swim in a sunny pool all day. I actually went to two different pools yesterday - swam in our neighborhood pool in the early afternoon and then went to the gym before dinner and did some more laps. I would like to strangle anyone who makes maternity swimsuits. I don't know a SINGLE person who's boobs haven't taken over with pregnancy - so why is it impossible to find a maternity suit with any support?!?! And most of them are halters too, which means I am basically holding up cement bricks with my head. Ugh. I gave up and went to Marshalls in search of big fat lady suits. I bought one (which makes Brooks giggle) and then also bought a bikini for diversity. At this swimming rate, I'll have to go back another one soon too. I really think that when you get pregnant, your house should comply by growing another room and your wardrobe should amazingly just grow with you.

We decided to hire a doula. She's also teaching our labor classes and Brooks and I were both totally comfortable with her from the start. She also recommended that we choose Holy Cross Hospital in Mission Hills, so I guess that's where the big birth will be. Not too much else to report - we find out the baby's gender next wednesday - can't WAIT!

Tuesday, July 05, 2005

Here's a first look at the new nursery. This room used to be my office and was painted brown. We did a cool striped paint job (yes, we used a laser leveler and it took FOREVER but it's perfect). I wanted to do something for the windows other than your typical baby-room valance, so we decided to frame in the windows with rosettes and molding. I think it turned out pretty nicely. I dumped a ton of stuff in the crib to get it off the ground, so no, it won't always have a bunch of crap in it/hanging on it. And the bedding pictured (with the moons and stars) I'm not sure I'll stay with, I bought it mainly as a backup in case I didn't find something I liked better. Next, I need to get the rest of the furniture and if time permits, hopefully get some crown molding up!

Thursday, April 14, 2005

Tuesday, April 05, 2005

August 1994: Brooks is a Freshman at Kenyon, Maggie is a Junior in high school

August 1996: Brooks is a Junior at Keyon, Maggie is a Freshman

May 1998: Brooks becomes a Kenyon Alum but stays on campus to take a few extra classes

September 11, 1999: Maggie turns 21 and is introduced to Brooks at the Cove. Brooks is visiting for the weekend and has just lost his place to crash, Maggie offers her floor and he accepts (and STAYS on the floor!)

September 18, 1999: Brooks turns 24 and invites a gaggle of gals (including Maggie) to a club in Columbus to celebrate. Maggie has a few too many and is told (MONTHS later) that the two share a first kiss.

September 22, 1999: Brooks and Maggie have a real first kiss.

October 1999: Brooks and Maggie decide to take some time as friends

March 2000: Maggie asks Brooks to return an old favor and let she and Emily and Clare crash at his home in Nashville on our way to Mardi Gras. He obliges but then decides to join in the adventure. Somewhere between Nashville and New Orleans it is decided that Maggie and Brooks are more than just friends.

May 2000: The first day of Senior Week, Brooks decides that he doesn't want Maggie to see anyone else (don't tell him that she didn't want to anyway!) He also decides that he's ready to meet the whole family and come for graduation. He helps Maggie load the U-haul and leave Kenyon and comes to visit her at home in Maryland the next weekend.

July 4, 2000: Brooks helps Maggie move out of her parents house and into her first apartment. Later, under the fireworks of the National Mall, he tells her he loves her.

August 2000: Brooks moves out to LA to start Graduate School. Thank God for Aunt Bobbie's buddy-passes - we get to see eachother about every two weeks.

February 2, 2001: Brooks comes to visit Maggie and in a limosine in front of the Capitol he proposes (she started saying yes as soon as he put his hand in his pocket!). After a wonderful dinner, the limo drives us out to my parents house to share the news with my brothers (of course mom and dad know already). The next day Maggie's whole family gathers at Aunt Jan's bay house to celebrate.

July 4, 2001: Brooks and Maggie celebrate the fourth of July by packing a U-haul! (This is number 3 if you're counting). They spend one more night with Maggie's family before heading out west.

December 28, 2001: We're Married! We go on our honeymoon and take our time driving back from Washington, DC to California.

October 2002: We buy our first home in Valencia, CA.

April 1, 2005: Maggie decides that she has either grown a gut overnight or...something else. A pregnancy test says she's wrong.

April 2, 2005: Thinking that April fools may have gotten her good this year, Maggie takes another test. This time it's positive. And so are all ten tests she takes over the next two days!

April 14, 2005: We get our first look at Piglet with our first ultrasound - 5 weeks and 5 days old.

April 26, 2005: Piglet's second ultrasound/checkup - 8 weeks 4 days old

May 12-May 23, 2005: Maggie, Brooks and Piglet journey to Prague, Vienna and Warsaw(where we go to Joanna and Mark's wedding!)